A Kilmarnock man has been sentenced following a Scottish SPCA investigation into gross neglect that led to dog’s death
William Robert Purdie Allan, from Kilmarnock, came before Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on 21st November 2025 where he was sentenced to a financial penalty of £1575, and having not sought time to pay the fine is serving the alternative of 45 days imprisonment. He was also handed a ban on owning animals for 10 years after failing to meet the basic welfare needs of his bull breed type dog called Bruce for several months, ultimately leading to its death.
Allan failed to provide Bruce with an adequate diet or seek urgent veterinary treatment, causing him prolonged and unnecessary suffering.
A post-mortem examination of Bruce concluded his extreme emaciated condition, most likely led to multiple organ failure and acute cardiac failure, causing his death.
Scottish SPCA inspectors attended Allan’s residence on 7th October 2024, after a call to the charity’s helpline reporting concerns for the welfare of a dog at the property.
Extremely thin, his ribs and hip bones were clearly visible
A Scottish SPCA Inspector said: “Upon entering the residence, it was quickly visible it was very unkempt. There were clutter and empty cans across the floors, and the living room had a very strong smell of ammonia. The room’s carpet was littered with dry dog food and faeces.
“We found the dog dead inside a crate in the balcony area; it was in very poor condition. It was extremely thin; its ribs and hip bones were clearly visible. It clearly had been victim of gross neglect. The owner chose to ignore the highly visible unacceptable physical state of the dog for months. These are not the actions of a caring, compassionate owner.”
Allan claimed the dog had been left with him by a relative of a partner and that he had tried to contact the owner but failed. He said he had been feeding Bruce but had woken one day and found him dead.”
Most likely caused by starvation
Bruce’s body was taken to SRUC veterinary services in Edinburgh for post-mortem examination. The veterinary examination revealed Bruce had suffered from diffuse atrophy, most likely caused by starvation. The condition of Bruce’s bones and muscles showed that he had received insufficient food for at least one month but most likely more than two months. There was also evidence that he had not been fed anything for three days prior to his death.
A healthy weight for a dog Bruce’s size is between 20 and 40 kg, yet upon examination he was found to weigh just 18kg, representing a 40% reduction from his ideal weight. No evidence of a concurrent disease which could explain the emaciated state of the animal was found.
A Scottish SPCA inspector added: “We are pleased with the sentencing. The suffering endured by the dog was unnecessary and avoidable, had the owner intervened earlier. Any responsible owner who lived alongside this dog in a home environment would have been gravely concerned for it given the conditions and would have sought professional advice immediately.
“The ailments affecting the dog were highly visible and would have been addressed routinely by any reasonably responsible person. This sentencing recognises the seriousness of that neglect.”
Calling for a national animal offenders register
The Scottish SPCA is calling for a national animal offenders register to be built into existing intelligence systems to support monitoring of individuals convicted of animal cruelty — particularly those banned from owning animals — and flag offenders like Allan. Importantly, it would also help address the well-established link between those who harm animals and those who go on to harm humans.
Read our full manifesto here.
To report any act of cruelty visit our website here.
